Flake Dismisses Trump’s Support For Primary Challenger Kelli Ward

The evening before President Donald Trump’s rally in Arizona, Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) told reporters that he is not concerned about the potential for Trump to back one of the Republican primary challengers to Flake in his 2018 re-election bid.

“I don’t worry about it at all,” Flake told reporters in Arizona on Monday when asked about Trump’s criticism of him on Twitter, according to the Los Angeles Times.

In a tweet last week, Trump called Flake “toxic” and declared that the senator is “weak” on immigration issues and crime. The President applauded Republican state Sen. Kelli Ward for challenging Flake, an atypical move for a president.

Asked about Trump’s support for Ward, Flake said, “That’s not my realm. That’s somebody else’s. I just — I’m running my own campaign. It’s going well. And what the president does, that’s his prerogative,” per the LA Times.

Trump will hold a rally in Arizona Tuesday night, sparking speculation that he could bash Flake and support one of his primary challengers from the stage. Trump’s ire with Flake is likely due in part to the senator’s recent book tour during which he repeatedly criticized Trump.